LONG BEACH -- Junior guard Lauren Betts collected her 10th double-double of the season and pushed no.1 UCLA (17-0, 6-0) over Penn State (9-9, 0,7) 83-67 Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Betts had twelve rebounds and a team-leading 22 points while also tying a UCLA women’s basketball record for blocks in a game with seven.
“I didn’t think we played well enough collectively to win,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said. “But Lauren, really covering for us, especially on the defensive end.. She covered for actually how poorly we played.”
While a home game for the Bruins, air quality concerns and the threat of flames themselves from the Palisades Fire and other wildfires devastating the Los Angeles area forced UCLA to travel south and play at Walter Pyramid, the home of Long Beach State.
UCLA players donned “LA Strong” t-shirts in warmup, a show of solidarity with the community.
“A great humility and thanks to our incredible first responders and all the people that have been fighting for a chance to rebuild our city,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said. “We get to play. There has to be this sense of gratitude. We get to continue to compete and master our craft… off the court, there needs to be a great sense of … humility of what we’re getting to do.”
“My heart goes out to the families, especially to the firefighters right now who are fighting this battle,” UCLA forward Angela Dugalić said.
The Lady Lions had the advantage from the tip. They knocked down shots when the Bruins didn’t, especially beyond the arc. Penn was 2-3 from three in the first quarter while UCLA failed to land any three-point shots, despite five more first quarter attempts.
Penn State graduate guard Gabby Elliot knocked down a three as she was knocked down herself due to a foul by UCLA junior forward Janiah Barker, securing a trip to the line for a four-point-play that Elliot completed.
Penn State finished the first quarter ahead 19-17. It was the first time this season the Bruins finished the first quarter trailing since the first game, a Nov. 4 matchup against Louisville.
“I just think we didn’t show up the way we needed to today,” Betts said. “I just know how capable we are as a team and I just know what we’re trying to do… We’re just capable of so many things and we just have to make sure we hold ourselves to the highest standard possible.”
The second quarter was a return to form for the Bruins, who synergized their usual combination of offense and defense to take the lead and widen it. They outscored the Lady Lions 27-11 in the second, the only quarter where either team had more than a two point scoring discrepancy.
UCLA junior guard Kiki Rice and junior forward Timea Gardiner alternated shots, layups off the fast break for Rice and jumpers for three by Gardiner, in a 9-2 run to restore the Bruins lead 31-27 with 4:29 remaining in the second quarter.
The scoring shot lightning through the home-away-from-home Bruins crowd, who rattled the stands of Walter Pyramid with excitement.
“The second quarter we really got after it,” Close said. “As soon as we came out and started getting stops… we were able to get into playing the kind of style we want to play. But you've got to earn that style by playing great defense.”
The Bruins entered halftime with a 14 point advantage, 44-30, fresh off a shooting run where they went 5-6 from the field while Penn State was barren from the field going into the half.
UCLA’s dominance began to waver in the fourth quarter, and a 7-2 Penn State run cut the once monstrous lead down to 69-62 Bruins with less than six minutes remaining.
“We needed to stop the run and regroup a little bit,” Close said about a timeout she called following Penn State’s run. “That was about, yes stopping the run, but yes like, ‘what is this worth to you?’ Just a personal challenge of… what are you going to do with this opportunity.”
The Bruins closed out the final few minutes with a 7-0 run that gave them enough insurance for the victory.
Despite the double-digit loss, no one could say that Penn State didn’t put up a fight. Three Lady Lions had double digit points, including two 17-point-performances, one of them by Elliot, who may have scored more had she not fouled out.
The victory marked a major milestone for the Bruins: The 17-0 start is the best start to a season in team history. They look to keep the streak going with a matchup against Baylor Monday, Jan. 20 at 12 pm as part of the Coretta Scott King Classic.